Korean Circ J.  2009 Mar;39(3):124-127. 10.4070/kcj.2009.39.3.124.

Coronary Artery Thrombosis Associated With Paclitaxel in Advanced Ovarian Cancer

• Park SH
• Byon JS
• Lee SW
• Lee SJ
• Jin DK
• Shin WY

• KMID: 1825971
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2009.39.3.124

Abstract

A 63-year-old woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and peritoneal carcinomatosis. The day after paclitaxel was administered, an acute myocardial infarction occurred. Emergency coronary angiography revealed a filling defect in the left main coronary artery and total occlusion in the distal left anterior descending coronary artery, with no luminal irregularity or narrowing. Intravascular ultrasonography showed no significant plaque in the left main coronary artery. A thrombophilia work-up was negative, and the patient was treated with tirofiban, clopidogrel, and aspirin. The follow-up coronary angiogram showed that the occlusion of the distal obtuse marginal branch and distal left anterior descending artery had cleared. Paclitaxel has been associated with acute myocardial infarction. However, the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction associated with paclitaxel is not known. This case raises the possibility that paclitaxel can induce coronary artery thrombosis, resulting in myocardial infarction.

Keyword

Paclitaxel; Coronary thrombosis

MeSH Terms

Arteries
Aspirin
Carcinoma
Coronary Angiography
Coronary Thrombosis
Coronary Vessels
Emergencies
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Middle Aged
Myocardial Infarction
Ovarian Neoplasms
Paclitaxel
Phenobarbital
Thrombophilia
Thrombosis
Ticlopidine
Tyrosine
Ultrasonography, Interventional
Aspirin
Paclitaxel
Phenobarbital
Ticlopidine
Tyrosine